Members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja have embarked on a three-day warning strike over non-payment of shortfalls in their salaries.
They took the decision to down tools during their emergency congress at the hospital premises on Monday.
Justifying the industrial action, Dr. Adejo Arome, NARD President, FMC Jabi-Abuja chapter, claimed the money meant for payment of the salary shortfall had been deposited into the hospital account in December 2019 but was not disbursed.
He noted that N20 million was released by Federal Government to pay the resident doctors the December salary shortfall arrears but stressed that the hospital account section had yet to pay
He said the doctors would only rescind their decision, if concrete evidence was given to them to show sincerity of purpose on the part of the hospital’s management.
He also claimed that as at yesterday the hospital’s management had done nothing tangible to prevent the industrial action.
Besides the warning strike, the resident doctors called for the redeployment of Mr Bako Achi, accusing him of insubordination, and other actions that constitute barrier to their progress.
In an unanimous vote, the resident doctors also called for auditing of the hospital’s Internally Generated Revenue last December.
They stressed the need for the hospital’s management to declare its position on the status of contract doctors in the tertiary health institution.
The resident doctors described the non-regularisation of the doctors’ appointments as slavery, considering their workload vis-a-vis the stipends they were paid.